Now Boarding Flight 9-5: How to interact efficiently at your new job

The transition from college to the working world is comparable to flying in an airplane. It can either be smooth with yummy peanuts and refreshments, or it can have turbulence and crying babies while you're crammed in the middle seat.

The upside to this transition however, is that you get to pick which plane you board.

I was fortunate to have an easy progression into the working world, a success I attribute to my teachers, mentors and disciplinarians while attending Auburn University.

After several months at my first "real world" job, or non-internship position, I have picked up a few savvy "street skills" that may help those who sense turbulence in the near future.

First things first: No two people are the same.

• Dealing with college professors is different than dealing with bosses. Remember they have a business to keep afloat and for as much as you have going on, they have five times more on their plate. Something to keep in mind is that everyone operates differently, and it will behoove you to adapt as best you can to the way your employer operates. 

Second of all: Taking notes does not end in college.

• Take a notepad with you wherever you go. You will be hit with more information than your brain can remember, and that's ok! The more you write down, the better employee you will make- which is obviously the ultimate goal. Which brings me to my next point. 

Often you will find yourself in a chair in your employers office receiving directions for your next project. In conjunction with jotting down instructions on your notepad, I suggest that upon returning to your desk you send a quick email to your boss.

In the email you should state the directions you received as you heard them. This will ensure you understood them correctly.

Tell your employer that if there are any additions or corrections necessary, to please send them. You should also include the time you plan on starting the project so your employer has an appropriate time to respond with any changes.

If you have a boss who is excellent about overlooking your emails, because unfortunately that does happen, I suggest enabling the option of the "Read/Receipt" alert on your emails. Not only will you be alerted when your message is delivered, but when it has been read.

Poor communication and direction delivery are a vicious cycle. Following these simple tips will allow you to avoid turbulence so you can enjoy those tasty peanuts we love so much.

The Hush Sound: Not the band, but my next 6 weeks.

I always knew my old college ways would catch up to me.

Throughout my four-year stint at Auburn I acquired a few scars and permanent marks that, though bother my mother to no end, will always remind me that I used to be fun and energetic...

This is the part where my sister rolls her eyes because I make it sound like I graduated ages ago, when really it just happened this May. I'm dramatic and nostalgic ok?? Leave me be!! 

In between my healthy lifestyle of loud music, liquor and late-night meals I figured my nights-turned-mornings would come back to haunt me in the future, but who knew the future would be such a short 2 months later!

Flash forward to now where I received the news that I have vocal nodules. For those of you who aren't singers or stalkers of John Mayer and Adele, vocal nodules, commonly referred to as "nodes," are little benign tumors on your vocal cords.

Nodes are caused by several different things, all circulating back to using your voice improperly. Be it yelling, screaming, whispering, singing without warming up... these little growths appear and it effects the way your vocal cords vibrate back and forth. If it goes untreated the nodes turn into polyps which have to be surgically removed.

Fortunately I caught mine early.

So what does this mean for me? Well I'm glad you asked. And I'm also glad you're reading this instead of literally asking me because I wouldn't be able to tell you...

If your deductive reasoning skills led you to assume that 1. This is what happened to the girl in Pitch Perfect and 2. That I can't talk, give yourself a pat on the back! Because you are indeed correct.

I have been put on vocal rest for 6 weeks. No singing, screaming, yelling, whispering, taking of shots or excessive talking for 6 weeks.

And if you know me, the prohibited actions listed above have at one point (or forever) been my life. So that's cute.

I plan on doing a lot of reading, movie watching and getting back to teaching myself to play the piano.

However, I am now accepting lists of silent activities I can do for the next 6 weeks, as well as resume's of friends who will hang out with me in silence... Must love dogs, RomCom's and shopping.

Anyhow, expect some funny updates. Maybe this is the push I needed to get back to you, dear readers.

Signing off (which as I type this I realize now has a dual meaning...you know because I can't talk...),

Xx,
Lo.

Over the Love.

Well hello there. It's been more than a minute since I had a minute to sit down and write one of these.

Since my last post I: built a website, graduated college and cried... A LOT. But we'll get back to all of these great achievements later.

Considering my pregnant pause from this blog that I love so much, I thought I would return with a post about my first and true love of music.

This was really a long time coming considering my Elle magazine's May issue was dedicated to women of music and had none other than the great Adele gracing its cover:

But what has truly inspired this post is a song I heard while watching The Great Gatsby. I know everyone is on the Gatsby kick and if you haven't seen it I'm sure you're wondering what the big deal is... and all I can say to you is go. Go to the nearest movie theater, pay the $10.75 for a ticket, sneak in some of your favorite candy and watch as one of my favorite pieces of literature is magnificently portrayed before your eyes. 

A lot of reviews have been more than critical of this film but it was honestly everything I wanted it to be. So go. 

That being said, I wasn't 100% thrilled with the music in the movie for the most part...however there was one song that really got to me. 

I have always been a Florence + the Machine advocate but I can't remember the last time a song in a movie made my jaw drop while giving goose bumps a home all over my body. Until this one.  

Florence has what I refer to as the "Adele factor." The stop-in-your-tracks and don't move, blink, think or breathe until the song is over kind of thing. It's a talent that puts what society calls the "it" factor to shame. 

Her voice accompanied by the most beautiful of instrumental arrangements is haunting and awe inspiring and frankly I just can't get enough. 

When I hear songs like this I can't help but wonder what artists like Selena Gomez or Ke$ha think when they hear it-especially in comparison to their own music. Not that I don't appreciate a good party jam that you can crank up and pretend you're in a music video... but artists like Florence and Adele  have the Selena's of the world cowering in the corner wondering when their 15 minutes of fame is up. 

When you hear their songs you can't help but think, "Now that... that is music." 

And everything else is simply nonsense. 

Enjoy. 

-Lo. 

Homeward Bound.

I'm

      Comin'
   

                   Home...

Comin' home. Tell the world that I'm comin' home... if you can finish that lyric we are probably friends, if not we should be.

Yes people. I am returning to the Big D and I don't mean Detroit (an answer I got from someone last weekend when I said the Big D...what? Do I look like I'm from...whatever.)

I have been incredibly busy trying to keep up with school, work, finding a job and being a 22-year-old college girl who's graduating in 5 weeks. *GASPS* literally

So busy that I just screened my sister's phone call to try and get a quick post in before my next class. Sorry Katie... you can complain to me about it in person tomorrow over margs :)

Things I'm looking forward to in a nutshell:

1. Seeing my family for the first time since January. Wow that's been a minute!
2. Mexican food. Nom nom nom...margaritas.
3. Throwing Beau a birthday party
4. Long walks and talks with my main gal pals that will be in town (shout out to Savannah and Erin).
5. DALLAS FASHION!!

I love packing when I go home because I feel like my wardrobe has a chance to truly shine and be appreciated for what it is. Although packing in one duffle bag proves tricky for a girl who thinks knows every day is a fashion show...

I also love to get inspiration while I'm there. Ah the perks of being in a big city.

Also y'all...I'm FINALLY GETTING A HAIRCUT. (My last cut was in August. I will deny this fact if you ever try to use it against me).

I have a few fun posts about work coming your way too when I get a chance to breathe. But I advise you to not hold your breath on that one...it could be a while...


Xx,

Lo.

Spring Break.

Once upon a time there was a wise, wise person who decided to reward students by giving them a week off from school to play with their friends. They could go anywhere they wanted to go, and do most anything they wanted to do. The only rules of the week were to relax and have fun. And all the students lived happily ever after.

...Until they had to return to school...

But seriously what is up with the Monday after spring break? I think I heard Mother Nature chuckling this morning as she told the rain to start falling as soon as my alarm went off at 7:15. It's a cruel, cruel world we live in... 

This spring break was my first break spent with my college friends. For various reasons I have been unable to attend in years past so I was extra excited to see what I was getting into. 

After a LOT of back and forth planning we settled on venturing to Perdido Keys, Fla. (commonly referred to as Flora-Bama because of its strategic placement on the Alabama/Florida border...which, I am embarrassed to admit, I didn't know existed until this trip...)

 If you're looking for a destination of sightseeing, fine dining and activities galore...go elsewhere. There's not a whole lot to do but with a group of roughly 22 people you don't need a whole lot. We are a group that very much brings our own entertainment and were more than content with the company of one another (and our alcoholic beverages). 

We all stayed in the same building, boys on the 11th floor and girls on the 6th, in what was referred to as a "penthouse" which I laughed at until we walked in. It honestly was too nice for us. We're talking wrap-around balcony, 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms complete with steam showers, jacuzzi bathtub, private elevator access, granite and stainless steel kitchen, separate bar area, original paintings on the wall... it was amazing. 

Not to mention the fact that our place had a heated pool with beach access, was a whopping 352 feet from the (only) bar: The Flora-Bama (which is a whole other post in itself) and directly across the street from a Waffle House and liquor store. So there's that. 

I can't believe that the week has already come and gone. I always viewed it as a marker of "you're almost done with college" and I am just really not ready for that. But it's here. It's happening and there is nothing I can do about it. So thank God I'm enjoying it with the best of them (said in Kristin Wiig accent from Bridesmaids plane scene). 

Xx, 

Lo. 

Ya Heard.

I've been on my Frank Ocean grind as of late and was extremely pleased when I found that my other new favorite artist did a W O N D E R F U L cover of his "Thinkin Bout You" song.

If you don't know who Mr. Ocean is (pictured below)...it's ok. He is more of an unknown but he won a grammy or two this year (despite his less than stellar performance at the awards show which I'm still irritated about).

Ocean is kind of...how do I describe him... an indie rapper? I don't know...it's rap but it's not Weezy or Drake. He has received major support from Queen Bey and Jay Z (do they ever steer us wrong?) and he's openly gay which is sort of unheard of in the rap world. So good for you Frankie. Although I will say he's not for everyone. In fact I can name a few people that I know will really dislike his style. But hey, that's what makes the world go 'round.

Also I do have to say that I was disappointed when I found out he's not British. At the risk of sounding racist or naive I think it was the gap in his front teeth that had me really expecting (dare I say excited) to hear a British accent when he spoke. Kid's from New Orleans.... bummer. (Also this adorable pic with Adele didn't help either ok?)

Anyhow, my other discovery is a girl named Yuna. She's a Malaysian singer and a straight up g. But for real... love her. And I think she's BEAUTIFUL. Her music makes me want to do candle light yoga or online shop at Anthro. She is remarkably calming and who doesn't need calming in their lives right now? Thought so.

So I think you should check her out. You can thank me later.

Here is one of my favorite songs of hers called Decorate: 

 

And if you like what you heard, here is her Frank Ocean cover of "Think Bout You" which is particularly impressive because she recorded this live in her home: 

Well that's what's been bumpin through my speaks these days. Enjoy.

Xx,
Lo.

Swiftly surprised.

It's Saturday afternoon and I finally made time to read my March Elle magazine that came to me in the mail weeks ago.

I must admit that I was a little disappointed when I saw Taylor Swift on the cover. It's no secret that I'm a fan, but I like to think of Elle as more high fashion rather than pop culture inspired and as of late I view Swift as growing less and less relevant so I was curious as to what they were going to talk to her about.

As I began my venture into the 510 page edition (quite the upgrade from last months 272 pages), ogling at Hermes, Versace and Givenchy's spring ads I quietly prepared myself for the eye rolling that was sure to come upon reading Swift's article. Visions of her many acceptance speeches danced round and round in my head ("Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I am so surprise!"...yeah, yeah, yeah).

Well it turns out that despite her relevancy to teens and 20-something-year-olds, I found myself just as enthralled with her as I was when I first listened to her Speak Now album.

You know when something is really trendy, like The Hunger Games and peplum tops, and you just really don't want to like them because EVERYONE likes them, but no matter how hard you fight, you just friggin love 'em? Yeah. That's how this article was for me. And just about every article/song/thing associated with Taylor Swift...

What can I say? The girl knows how to capture a moment. (And any girl who can write a song like Revenge and has the kahunas to write and release Dear John is someone I can hang with.) 

But in all seriousness, I often feel like certain celebrities are misunderstood because of how the media portrays things and I think Taylor Swift falls into this category a lot.

Yes her personality is a little off beat, yes I'm sure she is sickeningly positive sometimes and what is her deal with cats? But despite all of that, there is something very intriguing about her and I decided after this article that what intrigues me about her is her normalcy.

She's goofy and super awkward and sometimes obnoxious, but aren't we all?

The article says "Swift has benefited creatively from the tunnel vision that comes with being a teenager. Not even fame can save you from the trials of early adulthood: figuring out who you are, falling in love, going out in the world on your own, having your heart broken, inflicting heartbreak, forgetting who you are and having to discover it all over again. When you're really young, you are blessed and cursed with the certainty that nothing in the world is more important than your feelings. Swift writes songs from that place."

Despite her fame, private planes, world tours and celebrity boyfriends, she's living life as a typical 23-year-old girl and instead of writing in a diary, blog or eating a pint of ice cream (which hey, she might do that too) she writes a song about it. And more power to her. Many people pin her as being dramatic or just "too much" and yes...I can see that. But don't you dare try and tell me that you haven't listened to at least one of her songs and thought "damn...preach sister."

That's what I thought.

Xx,
-Lo.

Kate Spade kind of week.

Good morning world. It's been a minute.

Per request of my loving friends who humor me by reading this thing I thought I'd oblige. (You're welcome Savannah.)

Recently I've been caught in the middle of having a LOT of fun, and having a LOT of stress brought upon me. It's no surprise, I've been known to express emotions in extremes a time or two but it's quite exhausting.

I've decided that if job searching was a scent it would be described as quite scary, with hints of anxiety and insecurity and an added touch of what seems to be excitement but is really just apprehension (or wine....).

It's a lot like dating, you know? You want everything to look perfect and for everyone to find you perfect...Is my hair/makeup cover letter too much? Does my outfit resume look ok? Should I scent it? I mean it worked for Elle Woods...right?!

Anyhow... aside from researching and applying for jobs I've been a busy bee.

I recently did a feature story for work on one of Auburn's football players. Nosa is a great guy who I've known since freshman year. He is always talking about how his life has been "so blessed," so this was a really fun assignment for me. I also was beside myself that my boss liked it so much she not only didn't change anything about it, but put it up on Auburn's website. You can check it out here!


Speaking of blessed, last week I was one spoiled little Kate Spade diva. My sister sent me an early Valentine's Day gift as did my grandparents! I couldn't love them any more than I do. (Both the people and the gifts.) 

If you ever order someone a gift from Kate Spade, which I highly recommend, go the extra mile ($6 or $7) and get it gift wrapped! Their packaging is absurdly cute.

It rained pretty much all last week, prompting me to order myself a pair of duck boots which prompted the rain to cease. Typical. I've never scoured my weather app praying for rain more than I have this past week. (I think it's going to rain tomorrow...I'll keep you posted ;)) I can't wait to break these bad boys in!










I hope the world is bringing you as much love, light and if nothing else delicious mimosa's as mine!

Xx,
Lo.

Transition.

Hey kiddies.

Whenever I say that I think of my grandfather. When he's not calling me Twinks he calls my sister and me "kiddies."

I hope February is treating everyone wonderfully already. Especially since it's only three days in...

February is such an odd time of the year. It's the transition month for Winter to Spring...the true tester of New Year's Resolutions...

I was recently talking with Erin and we both agree that this is such an odd time of our lives. Our mental anxiety level is at an all-time high and we are so caught in between wanting to be productive but having a severe case of "fear of missing out."And (un)fortunately for me right now, not missing a damn thing is trumping my productivity schedule.

I suppose it's because I know that I'm capable of getting everything done so I'm not too worried about that...but I am also well aware that I won't get these days and precious moments back.

You know how mommy-to-be's go through a nesting period before they bring a baby into the home? I feel like I'm doing something similar to that only sans pregnancy. I am attached to my friends as if college is ending tomorrow. (And by the way, simply typing that statement out brought tears to my eyes.)

So if you're feeling neglected dear readers, it's because I'm busy creating memories. I just need to get back on track with documenting them so that I have them in my head, heart and in writing forever.

I hope everyone is as busy loving life as I am. Life is so good to us, even when it doesn't seem to be...it is. And right now Phillip Phillips is singin' the words of my soul...

Have a happy day everyone. And never forget how blessed you are.

Xx,
Lo.

"Hope is just a ray of what everyone should see...scared of what's behind you and scared of what's in front. Live with what you have now, and make the best of what's to come." -Phillip Phillips

Fresh.

As my friend Angela says when she's excited, BE STILL MY HEART! 

What a fresh and fantastic weekend I've had. 

This is pretty much exactly what my Friday looked like. 

It is so good to be back. Like, brand new socks-cozy blanket-french bulldog-hot chocolate-and-acoustic John Mayer-good. 

Classes started on Wednesday and my week ended Thursday because this girl doesn't have class or work on Friday. Lucky me, I know. 

I think since it's my last semester my friends and I will be more determined than ever to make plans and actually go through with them. Time is of the essence people. 

That being said, when Allie and I woke up Saturday we rounded up some of our fun friends we've been missing some quality conversation with, and had brunch at one of the tastiest little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, Big Blue Bagel. The restaurant is filled with weird, old paintings with the remaining decor of Auburn memorabilia from football and basketball season's passed. Oh, and all of their sandwiches are served on the bagel of your choice. 

One of my favorite's is the Tiger Melt; Chicken salad topped with melted Colby Jack cheese on top of what I choose to be a Honey Wheat bagel. Say it with me... Y U M. 

After putzing around town, Al and I decided to go to Ulta to get some nail polish (Cocktail Bling), which then led us to the bookstore, which led us to a small Christian bookstore. 

The two of us have been looking to get back into a routine, not just with school, but with our Faith as well. Leaving with a Bible and devotional in our hot little hands, we decided not to waste the BEAUTIFUL day and busted it over to Chewacla State Park for a little (long) hiking adventure. 

I can say this, without a shadow of a doubt, that Allie is one of those friends I don't really ever get sick of. Sure, we do things that bother each other, but it takes a LOT for me to need alone time from this one. She is one of those friends that is truly good for my soul, and her soul is one of the kindest I've met. Al has been blessed with the ability to have an explosive and charismatic personality, while managing to be one of the best listeners I've ever encountered. She is always hoping for the best, looking for the best in people and thinking of others. On paper you wouldn't necessarily peg us to be friends, but I am so thankful for that surprise. 

 

I feel like I say this in most of my posts lately, but every time my friends and I get together I learn something new about each of them. It's just astounding to me how much more I have to learn even after almost four years with most of them. Saturday night some of the boys cooked us dinner and I would have never guessed the conversation would have drifted to where it did, but it's amazing what you learn about people after a few beers. 

It's one of those weekends I'm going to keep close, and am really glad I'm documenting it now while it's fresh on my mind. It was just such a nice weekend and I very much felt that I was where I was supposed to be for the first time in a while. Don't you love those days? I sure do. 

Xx, 

Lo. 

Change.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not a fan of change. Most people aren't, it's natural not to like it. But I didn't realize the severity of my dislike until I really thought about it last night.

When I was in middle school and high school, back when the CW was the WB, I liked to watch One Tree Hill. To this day it's still one of my favorite shows, and thanks to Netflix I am able to maintain my character attachments and pick up wherever I want to with them. And I mean attachment! When they laugh, I laugh. When they cry, you can bet I'm crying too (don't even get me started on my love/hate roller coaster of a relationship I have with Dan). I am that girl, and I'm not even afraid to admit that.

I've watched Seasons 1-8 at least twice in my life. Season 9, the final season of the series, was a half season and I have been able to get through all but the final two episodes for reasons that I am now able to admit are none other than the fact that I don't want it to end.

I think it's my way of attempting to take control of change. I can control when I decide to move on, not the other way around. I know it sounds so strange and probably pathetic (mostly because it is) but when I finally put it all together I was almost amused at just how badly I deal with it.

We all know the (literal) sob story about my move to college... and one might think that moving 700 miles away was really brave, and in retrospect it was, but I think it was my strange way of coping with the change. Almost as if I wanted to go so far away that I wouldn't notice that people and things that I knew and loved were changing.

So since it's a new year, filled with changes that I can't just pause and ignore and return to when I'm ready, I'm going to try and get better at this.

I've only got three more episodes left in Season 9...and I'm laughing as I say this, but I am honestly a little tight-chested about nearing the end.

But alas, it is time. Wish me luck ;)

-Lo.